The Changing Face Of TV Fandom

There was a time when being a fan of a particular television show meant that you watched it every week. Maybe you bought a magazine or two with the stars of the show on the cover. and if you were really a fan, you might even write your local newspaper TV critic extolling the wonders of the show.

But like TV station sign-off IDs, those days are long behind us. In 2016, fans of a show can do much more than just talk about their favorite show online. Networks use social media to reach out directly to fans and target potential viewers. Social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook have made it easier for fans to talk directly with the producers and stars of their favorite TV series. It all seems very intimate and behind-the-scenes. Social media seems to have given everyone a glimpse into how television works.

But many people working in television will tell you that it's a false intimacy. Showrunners, producers and actors are encouraged to post frequently and interact with fans. It's all part of the drive to engage viewers in an increasingly competitive landscape. And while that does give some fans a closer sense of ownership over the show, it also encourages them to share every thought about the show with the people who run it. That intimacy also gives fans a false sense of how (and why) decisions are made on their favorite show.

That tension between fans and the shows they love was recently evident in online wranglings over creative decisions made on the shows The 100 and Sleepy Hollow. A certain percentage of the show's fan-base felt betrayed and they weren't shy about passing along their unhappiness. Which begs the question: how much does any show owe its fans in an effort to keep them happy?

This series is also going to cover some related questions, including a look at how some successful cable networks focus nearly all of their show promotion on social media and other fan-facing initiatives. There will also be an upcoming piece on the challenges faced by someone trying to launch a "Save our Show" campaign in 2016.

What all of these stories have in common is that they are a reflection of the unexpected ways social media has altered the interaction between television shows and their most passionate fans. It's a messy transition and it's clear that no one quite has the parameters figured out quite yet.

First up is this really thoughtful piece from Hart Hanson about the challenges faced by showrunners in the social media age.

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